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Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership: A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement or Contract

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A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement or Contract

Early education partners can use this checklist to assist them in developing a comprehensive agreement that clearly addresses each partner’s roles and re sponsibilities and many of the elements needed for the partnership to run smoothly. While agreements can and should be reviewed and revised over time, a strong agreement forged early in the partnership lays the foundation for a strong and sustainable collaboration.

A partnership agreement between early education providers contains critical information and clarifying details. Agreements include some standard legal sections, but the language used often sets the tone for a “partnership spirit.” On the following pages, partners will fnd a list of specifc items that may be included in a written agreement or contract or addendum. This document provides a list of specifcs that partners might include in a written agreement, although not every item needs be addressed. Agreements vary, refecting the uniqueness of the partnership. Early education providers can use this docu-ment as they develop or review their partnership agreements.

The checklist consists of the following fve sections:

I. General Information

II. Partnership Services

III. Fiscal Resources

IV. Systems a. Planning and Decisionmaking b. Communications c. Oversight d. Recordkeeping and Documentation

V. General Administrative Elements

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Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership: A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement or Contract

Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership: A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement or Contract

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Action Steps

I. General Information (often introductory)

General statement of the agree-ment’s purpose

Partners’ affliation and legal status

Contractual period

Contract amendments, renewal, and termination procedures

Role of each partner’s decision-making bodies in the contractual development and approval process

Compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and policies

Confict of interest statements and prohibited activities

II. Partnership Services

Number of children served; hours, days, weeks of operation

Location of services

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Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership: A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement or Contract

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Each partner’s role in service deliv-ery: child education, child and family health, mental health, disabilities, nutrition, family services and parent involvement, home visits or confer-ences, meetings, recordkeeping, transportation, supervision, oversight (aka: Head Start Performance Standards)

Staff assigned to support the partnership; which entity or partner employs and supervises which staff

Responsibilities of each partner’s staff

Staff schedules

Supervision procedures

Staff qualifcation requirements

Professional development responsi-bilities (in-service, training, college courses)

Personnel employment strategies

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Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership: A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement or Contract

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Annual performance appraisal procedures

Provisions for qualifed substitutes

III. Fiscal Resources

Funding or resources are accessed and a commitment is made by each partner

Payment per child, per year by part-ners and payment procedures

Alternative plans are made for circumstances beyond partners’ control

Funds targeted or designated for specifc improvements (renovations, salary enhancements, quality issues)

Designated responsibilities for: facilities or space, maintenance, repairs, food service, and supplies and equipment (who will retain ownership of equipment when or if the agreement ends)

Non-federal share or in-kind services

Provisions for collection and non-payment of parent fees

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Action Steps

Provision for the loss of child care subsidies and parent fees

IV. Systems

A. Planning and Decisionmaking

Role of each entity’s decisionmaking bodies in planning and decision-making

Policy Council representation and elections

Community assessment process

Collaborative, inclusive strategies involving partners’ staff and parents and the community

Items needing prior approval (items a partner reserves the right to approve)

B. Communications

Type, frequency of meetings; meet-ing participants

Type and frequency of reports

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Action Steps

Information exchange (training calendars, personnel policies, posi-tion openings, etc.; state and local licensing reports and QRIS status)

Work with agencies on appropriate referrals as needed

Use of technology (such as: shared databases for tracking, email com-munication)

Protocols for information sharing

Parent communications

Dispute resolution process

C. Oversight

Notifcation procedures or follow-up on local, state, and federal monitor-ing and assessments and audits

Ongoing observation of partnership operations, review of records, writ-ten feedback, follow-up

Annual program self-assessments and other reviews

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Improvement initiatives (partners’ obligations to each other when the partnership is not progressing as envisioned)

D. Recordkeeping and Documentation

Recruitment, enrollment applica-tions, and intake

Parent permission procedures

Child screening, assessment, outcomes

Curriculum planning and individual-ized child plans

Parent contacts, home visits, parent-teacher conferences

Disabilities, medical, dental services, nutrition, mental health, and family social services

Storage of records and access

Parent partnership plans

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Procedures for recording and track-ing of services and follow-up

Transfer of information, confden-tiality

V. General Administrative Elements

Designated contact person for each organization involved

Travel policies

Liability and insurance

Use of partners’ names (how partners will publicize the services sponsored by the partnership)

Photo courtesy of the Partnership Center.

These materials were originally developed by the Quality in Linking Together (QUILT) Project, through a partnership with the Community Development Institute, the Education Development Center, and the National Child Care Information Center. QUILT was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. ©2002 Education Development Center, Inc.